Tag Archives: school shootings

Kids Will Be Kids…Except When They’re Not

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Except when they take a gun to school and end up shooting their teacher. And it appears to be a deliberate act.

In this particular case, the child IS a child…age wise, at least. He’s 6 years old. A first grader.

I remember being in the first grade 65+ years ago. And I can tell you with certainty me or any of my classmates would have never thought about doing such a thing. My mother was a kindergarten teacher for some 25 years, and I doubt seriously any of her students would have thought of it either.

For those of you who haven’t heard about this, let me tell you about it. 

January 6, 2023 started out as a regular school morning at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The day ended tragically early when a 26 year old first grade teacher had a gun pointed at her by one of her students. That student pulled the trigger of the 9 millimeter handgun and shot her, the bullet going through her hand and into her chest.

Her entire class witnessed this. How do you think they felt? Scared to death? Afraid they’d be next? Never wanting to go to school again?

The teacher was in critical condition for several days, and finally released 13 days later, still but faces a long stretch of physical therapy as well as psychological counseling. The bullet is still in her body, which may result in more surgery.

And the shooter? Because he’s so young, we don’t know much. What we do know is that he is said to have a severe disability (which can’t be named because of his age) and because of the IEP (individual educational plan) he is under, he is supposed to be accompanied daily to school with either his mother or father. 

This particular week neither of his parents went with him.

His mother purchased the gun legally and has stated it was kept on a high shelf in the closet with a trigger lock. Maybe I’m a skeptical person, but I just can’t imagine how a 6 year old could’ve gotten a gun that was stored on a high shelf in a closet and then taken off the trigger lock. By himself. But then again, I guess anything is possible.

But things don’t add up for me. There has to be more to the story.

Then there’s the reaction of the school administration. Which is unconscionable.

In a news conference on Wednesday  January 25 the teacher’s attorney stated that on that day the teacher told an administrator the child had “threatened to beat up another child.” Administration didn’t remove the child from class or call security. They ignored it.

An hour later another teacher told the administrator she believed the student had put a gun in his pocket and taken it out to recess. The administrator downplayed the possibility, saying the boy had “little pockets.” Again the threat was ignored.

Shortly thereafter another teacher told administrators another child described as “crying and fearful” had informed the teacher this 6 year old showed him the gun at recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anybody. Nothing was done.

The teacher also texted a loved one before the shooting that the boy in her class was armed and that school officials were failing to act.

Another employee asked administration for permission to search the boy and his backpack, but permission was denied. He was told to wait the situation out, because the school day was almost over.

Well, it was almost over.

Because an hour later the student pointed his gun and shot his teacher. Police have described the shooting as intentional. The teacher somehow was able to evacuate her classroom while another teacher restrained the 6 year old shooter. She and the other teacher are the heroes of this story. 

The student is currently still in a local hospital undergoing treatment.

This is without a doubt one of the most tragic shooting events I’ve heard about. I cannot begin to even imagine how these events unfolded. How the school administration time and again failed not only the teacher who was almost killed, but the other students, as well as a student who clearly was in need of help. Our teachers do not get paid enough as it is, and certainly not enough to have to deal with situations such as this.

This is an example not only of total lack of common sense, as well as lack of concern for others, but a huge failure on the part of this school system to take precautions to ensure the safety not only of their students, but their teachers as well. I’ve heard that metal detectors have now been ordered for the schools in this district. It’s like the old saying of “closing the barn door after the horses escape.”

Why does it take such a tragedy in order to do what should have been done before? Are our schools more concerned about budgets and grades than they are about keeping their students safe? Are they more concerned about upsetting one student and their parents that the remainder of their students are put at risk?

Public outcry in this situation is resulting in change. Administrators are being terminated or resigning, hopefully to be replaced by others who will make better decisions in the future.

But this is not enough. It’s a start, but we need to learn from it and do things differently. I am a huge supporter of metal detectors in our schools, as well as armed security guards. It’s sad that it’s come to this, but we cannot ever afford to put a price tag on the value of our children and grandchildren. It’s time to make our voices heard over and over again until we get results.

Parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens, please speak up for what is right. For protection of our young ones who are the future of this country. They deserve the right to learn without fear, and the right to be in a classroom where they don’t have to worry about someone harming them, whether it be another student, or heaven forbid, someone from the outside.

This could happen in any school, in any district, and in any state.

Let’s all do what we can to stop this senseless violence against our most precious and defenseless population, our children. We must leave them a world that’s better than we’re seeing now. And we’re the only ones who can do it.

** Note: The details in this post were taken from news sources readily available online from WAVY-TV, CNN, CBS, and NBC. Please feel free to read the stories for yourself.

39 is Far Too Many

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The first thing I read in the news the other morning was about ANOTHER mass shooting. Another in California. California’s THIRD in as many days.

But this isn’t about California. It isn’t about all the recent mass shootings at Walmart. 

It isn’t about school shootings.

It’s about our country’s refusal to realize that something has to be done to stop this madness. 

And that doesn’t mean we need to license more people for concealed or open carry.

It doesn’t mean we need to arm our teachers in their classrooms. They’re there to teach, not stop a gunman from shooting their students. Or a student shooting other students.

We need to make changes in our gun laws. And we need to change our attitudes about guns, as well as our attitudes about mental health.

Yes. Mental health. Because these people who are committing these horrendous acts of cowardly terrorism are most definitely in need of intervention. 

In the aftermath of these horrific incidents it’s very often discovered that a majority of the perpetrators have exhibited signs of serious and disturbing emotional and psychological problems. Which unfortunately are very often being largely ignored by friends, family, or coworkers.

Could some of these massacres have been prevented if people had spoken up instead of turning away and ignoring what they saw? Possibly. But we’ll never know, will we? Because so many people just don’t want to get involved.

But maybe at least some more massacres could be prevented if people took more careful note of others around them doing or saying things, posting things, that possibly could be an indication of a problem, and letting someone know. But then again, too many people like to ignore such things, afraid of retaliation or retribution from others. So they stay silent, and when something happens, that’s when they speak up. 

After it’s too late.

But this does not negate the need for stricter gun laws. AND the need to enforce those laws rather than oftentimes look the other way when someone wants to purchase a firearm who doesn’t meet the criteria under the law.

And by all means, we need to pass a ban on assault weapons. No one needs them for hunting. They are weapons for war, for quick kills. Why does Joe Public need one? And don’t tell me it’s to defend his family, because there are other ways. Yes, the Constitution allows us to keep and bear arms, but laws are designed to regulate how that is done.

And yes, I understand that there will always be an element of society that will find ways to acquire weapons no matter what. And in that case, when they’re caught, we need the laws to be strictly enforced, with no plea bargains. And all rights to gun ownership resulting in a lifetime ban on future gun ownership or possession with harsher penalties for violation. 

And what about educating gun owners on the proper and safe methods of securing their firearms? Perhaps even requiring those who legally own a firearm being required to take a safety course every so often in order to keep that license to own a gun? Don’t we have to have our drivers licenses renewed on a regular basis? What’s the difference?

By now I’m sure many of you will have tuned out and think I’m crazy to suggest any such limitations in gun ownership. After all, it’s their right!

Well let me close by asking this question? How would you feel if your loved one was killed or hurt in a mass shooting? What if there were a shooting at your child’s school? Would you still think there’s no need for stronger gun control laws? Picture yourself getting that phone call or seeing it on the news.

My friends, it’s time to make our voices heard and come up with a solution to these problems. Before there are more mass murders. 

Even one more is too many. 

Parents, Hold Your Children Close

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Yesterday morning our 6 year old granddaughter had her kindergarten graduation ceremony. Proud parents and grandparents, along with various other family members and friends filled the auditorium as six kindergarten classes filed onto the stage for their big morning. Some 70 children total.

And then the emotions hit me, along with a lot of others in that auditorium. We had all driven to the elementary school, driven past those flags at half mast at so many locations. We knew what had happened the day before, and we were still reeling from it all. 

And then we saw our kids, grandkids, excited children getting ready to move up to first grade…the new class of 2034, as the principal later said.

And then the emotions came, as the ceremony started with a moment of silence for those young lives lost so tragically in Texas the day before, along with two of their teachers.

I looked at those precious children, my oldest granddaughter and her little friends, many of whom I knew as well. And the enormity of what had happened some mere 24 hours earlier hit me like a ton of bricks.

Each of those young lives had once sat on a stage very much like this, with their families in attendance, cheering them on after their first year in school…kindergartners graduating to first grade. Their lives and bright futures ahead of them.

But no one knew what would happen in the next several years. No one suspected or even imagined what would take place, forever wiping out the smiles of these children, forever destroying their families. Their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters losing a part of themselves.

The loss is incomprehensible. The grief unimaginable. And I found myself near tears as I silently prayed protection over these precious children in front of me.

I cannot begin to understand, or to even imagine how those families feel. I cannot imagine how they themselves will survive the next few days, weeks, months, and yes, even years, as they try to cope with such senseless and devastating loss. 

And yes, we were all proud of our little graduates today, and cheering on their achievements. Wondering what their futures hold for them as future scientists, doctors, astronauts, musicians, teachers…and what great things they will accomplish.

At the same time we mourn the loss of those other future scientists, doctors, etc. who will never see those goals accomplished. And the world is a darker place because of it.

These senseless and selfish acts of violence perpetrated by a hatred so unimaginable must stop, and it must stop now. Before other precious lives are lost. 

I do not pretend to have a solution. This person who committed this heinous crime bought the weapons legally. Gun laws didn’t stop him. I have to believe he was severely mentally disturbed. Why did no one see that? And where were the security guards at the school? Would metal detectors have helped? I think they would have. 

Hindsight is 20-20, as we know. We can unfortunately not change the past. But we MUST change the future somehow and determine how to protect these precious children that have been entrusted to us. This cannot continue.

Parents, hold these precious ones close. Tell them you love them every chance you get. And when you’re upset with them, and at your wit’s end, remember that these little ones are a precious gift that needs to be appreciated and loved every day. 

Because in this world, we just don’t know….

May God bless all of these families whose lives will never be the same. And please, let’s all stop the finger pointing and work together to find a solution to this madness. 

Our futures are at stake…and our most precious gift, which are our children.